Chapter 23: Home Care
"I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next." – Gilda Radner
Once they were out in the hall, Sydney and Dr. Tom sat down at a table. He excused himself momentarily and brought back a folder. Sydney could see when he opened it that it contained a bunch of material.
"Ok, Sydney. This is a whole packet on home care. It goes over the basics, what to do in case of emergency, all that jazz. Then it lists common warning signs for things, some of which apply to Mike, but not all of them. Here, let's highlight the ones for Mike." He pulled out a highlighter and began to go down the list, highlighting things she should look for to know if he was in distress.
"Ok, that should do it for the list…I have to tell you, home care is not easy. The reason there are hospitals is so normal people don't have to take on illnesses and the like at home. So, choosing this route, you have to be sure this is what you really want to do."
Sydney looked up at him, "It is."
He looked at her for a minute, "This would mean constant attention, you can forget about work and any outside social life until he gets better. This would be a huge sacrifice."
"No, Vaughn's made the huge sacrifice, I'm just helping out. He's the one that's hurt, he's the one this happened to…I'm already doing that anyway. It would be easier to do from home. I don't think work will be a problem and well, Vaughn usually takes up the largest part of my social life anyway, and my roommate will be there, I know she'll help when she can."
"Alright, then we can move on to daily care. There's the bandage changing and monitoring his breathing, checking the oxygen until he doesn't need it anymore. There's bathing, shaving and all that stuff. Plus, you'll have to help him get around for like, trips to the bathroom and stuff. You'll have to make the meals, do the dishes, all that too. Plus, you'll have to help him eat until his arm is better."
"Dr., I already do all that. And plus, at home, meals and dishes and all that are part of having a home, that's not an addition to taking care of him, those are necessities that I have to do for myself as well. I know this isn't going to be a piece of cake, but I don't think taking care of Vaughn at home is going to be all that different than taking care of Vaughn in the hospital."
"Listen, I just don't want you to get in over your head, ok? For one, I don't want to see you burn yourself out, and for two, I don't want to have to see him come back here in a month, I don't think that would be healthy for him. If he's in the hospital, he's in the hospital, but if he's at home, than he's going to want to stay at home. Do you understand what I mean? If this is too much for you to take on, it'd just be better if he stayed here, even if that's not what both of you want. I need to know that you can do this, for your sake, but for his too. He's a friend Sydney, enough crap has already happened to him, you know?"
"Yeah, I think I might know even better than you since I was there, and besides that, he may be your friend, but I love him…I wouldn't say I could do it if I didn't think I could. I'm not going to bail on him."
"I just had to make sure, gotta protect my boy, you know?" he smiled.
"I'm protecting my boy…don't you worry, I got him here, didn't I?"
"Yes, Sydney, you did…ok, so…then you'll also need to administer his pain medication, but we'll set up a chart and stuff for you so you know what to give him and how much, etc. etc."
They went over other preliminary things, discussing even such things as bedding material, pillows, elevation capabilities, the surface of the couch and about a million other things that Sydney wouldn't have thought of.
After they were finished, and Dr. Tom was satisfied that Sydney really knew what she was doing, he bid her goodnight.
"I'll see you in the morning then, Sydney. Goodnight."
"Thanks, Dr. Tom."
"You can just call me Tom…"
"Ok…" Sydney said as he walked off down the hall.
"Hey, tell Mike I said good night," he said as he rounded the corner.
"Ok," she said as she entered his room.
She smiled as she saw him lying in the bed, sleeping. She made her way over to the chair next to the bed and settled in there, not wanting to disturb him. About fifteen minutes later when she was just about to fall asleep, she heard, "Syd? You still awake?"
She turned to see Vaughn looking at her sleepily.
"Yeah, I'm still awake. Are you ok?" she asked concerned.
He smiled, "Yeah, I'm ok…aren't you going to lay with me?"
"I didn't want to wake you up when I came in before…" she got up and scooted him over so she could lie down next to him. She snuggled in and kissed his cheek.
"Syd?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you…again…"
"I only wish I could have brought you here sooner, I should have taken you here first…I'm so sorry Vaughn, it just added more crap for you at the other hospital."
"It's ok, Sydney. We're here now, that's all that matters…" he was quiet for a minute and then added, "Do you think they'll really let me out of here soon?"
"Maybe," she said.
"Syd?"
"Yeah," she answered again, smiling at the way he sounded like a little boy again.
"Do you want to do this?"
"Do what? Take you home?"
"Yeah…"
She sat up so she could look at him, "Are you channeling the Gestapo agent again?"
He smirked, "Maybe…"
"Vaughn, I want to help, and I want to take you home…if you want to go with me, I'll take you."
"Are you sure this is what you want to spend the next few months doing? Listening to me whine and have nightmares and drive you insane?"
"Vaughn, I wouldn't want to spend the next few months anywhere else but with you. If you weren't going to come home with me, then I'd be here anyway. I'll take you as you are, ok? And I don't think you're going to drive me insane."
"Only if you're sure, Sydney, because I don't think I can come back here once I've left…it'd be hell all over again."
She thought about what Tom had said, "I won't let that happen. I can take care of you at home Vaughn. I want to take care of you, and the only way you'll come back to the hospital, any hospital is over my dead body…or you have some emergency or something, you know…"
"Ok…"
"Oh, Tom said goodnight," she remembered.
"Thanks…I love you Syd."
"I love you too…"
She snuggled back down with him and listened to his breathing get slower and watched as his eyes closed. She sat up briefly and kissed him and then settled on his chest. She was asleep in no time; it had been a busy day.
